Recaro Young Sport - LATCH as a booster?

[Elizasmom]

I am assuming the Young Sport has LATCH. Can you continue to use the LATCH feature to hold it in place once it is being used as a booster? How does it compare to the Parkway for safety? Thanks

[Joolsplus2]

There was a rumor in the early days you could still use the LATCH, but now they say you can only use the top tether...still, better than nothing :)

I know a couple moms (who might chime in) who like the young sport *better* than the Parkway, as it's got more body coverage, and really good lap and shoulderbelt placement (not that the PW doesn't, but the YS IS very impressive).

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[uccomama]

I'm one of *those* moms. LOL The awesome thing about the YS as a bpb is it surrounds the child and supports in the head, should and hip areas. Even when fully extend the shoulders are still enclosed in the booster. With the Parkway the taller a child gets and the higher you adjust the back the less shoulder coverage you get.

I have photos of my DS in both the YS as a booster and the PW, so you can see what I mean. He is still quite little, so he has the PW on a lower height adjustment, but you can see it better with my 7 year old DD in the PW as she is taller.

The Recaro Young Sport: http://members.tripod.com/uccomama-ivil/id14.html

The Britax Parkway: http://members.tripod.com/uccomama-ivil/id13.html

Deborah, car seat obsessed mama

[threerugratz]

I'm one of those moms too, lol. Although I do like our Parkway and it workds great for my 9 yr old dd, I prefer the Young Sport overall. Our Parkway is not in the highest setting but when I extended it to take comparison pics, I noticed how the Sport seems to have more continuous side impact protection in the highest setting than the Parkway does. http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/threerugratz4me/detail?.dir=e6ea&.dnm=afc4.jpg&.src=ph Even though the picture is deceiving, the Parkway and Young Sport are both approx. 20" from base to shoulder belt guide in the highest booster height setting.
As for latch use in booster mode, the manual says not to do it. But it's great that it can be tethered in harnessed and booster mode.

[Elizasmom]

Thanks for all the great pictures everyone. Another question - are your children able to buckle by themselves with the YS? It looks like the Parkway might be a lot easier in that respect.

Also, a tech question - is the tether alone sufficient to prevent the seat from going flying and hurting someone in an accident? It seems like it could still hit someone sitting next to it in a side impact.

[uccomama]

My DS is using the YS with the harness at the moment. It is a bit more difficult to buckle the YS compared to the PW, in that you have to get the seat belt through a slot. But it really isn't difficult. I am sure both my kids (in seats) could do it.

I am not a tech, but every seat, whether a booster or installed will go sideways in a side impact.

Go here: http://www.concord.de and take a look at their crashtest videos an you will see what both installed car seats and boosters do in side impacts.

Deborah

[Joolsplus2]

I really think a top tether IS sufficient to keep the seat from flying sideways or forward very far and with much force.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx